Chronicles of War

On July 2, 1862 President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation calling for three hundred thousand men to enlist in the cause. He is said to have privately forecast that Clinton County Iowa could supply at least nine hundred. Eight hundred ninety-nine were mustered in there—among them, thirty-nine year old husband and father of four, Job Trites.

Chronicles of War is a work of historical fiction following Job’s and his family’s experience of the Civil War. Leaning heavily on details gleaned from historical documents, records, diary entries and letters, Job’s story comes to life. Job shouldered burdens common to all husbands and fathers who had enlisted; worries of home and family. He bore added weight as a surrogate father of sorts—he was twice the age of most of the young men who had enlisted with him. He wrestled, too, with the merit of the cause, especially against the tremendous loss of life he witnessed. He grappled with his faith—How could two sides, so vehemently opposed, both believe that God was on their side of the conflict?

Chronicles of War is a fast moving narrative, scenes shifting between the Trites’ farm in Iowa to encampments along the Mississippi River, from letters and recollections to the battle of Arkansas Post. Careful research and creative storytelling are powerfully combined by best-selling author Darin Michael Shaw.